You may be getting the impression that my West Coast trip is all about Waddell, and you would be correct. When the conditions are right, it is the best place to windsurf in mainland USA. Thankfully for my sanity, conditions change and send me exploring.
The Bay Area has a long windsurfing history. The sport was invented by a Californian (or arguably an Englishman, the subject of a protracted legal battle) and the region has lots of wind, regularly hosting Word championship events for all manner of sail-powered crafts. You’ll find windsurfers plying the bay from Crissy Field downtown San Francisco to Berkeley Marina on the other side, and all the way up into the Rio Vista river delta. During the hot summer months, you know that one of these places will be pumping enough wind.
On one windless day, my exploring took me North of Waddell along the PCH to see what I could see. The stunning beauty of the barren coastline continues unabated until Ocean Beach, at the edge of San Francisco. I made a few stops along the way to seek out hidden coves that might hold undiscovered windsurfing potential (ever the optimist). One stop had me walking 3 miles in flip flops, pulled from bluff to bluff by the promise of a feathering wave in the distance. I met exactly one couple on the entire walk and ended up on a truly deserted beach, stretching out for at least another mile around a broad bay of breaking waves.
What made this spot special, aside from the absolute desolation, was that it seemed to be more windy than anywhere else I had seen that day. On one side of the beach, clean waves protected by low lying rocks looked like a much easier playground to learn surfing than the punishing waves at Waddell.
There was also something very appealing about the isolation. I eventually found a closer place to park, but it was still a one mile hike, equipment in hand. On the five days I spent there, I only briefly saw three people. I am comfortable being alone, I enjoy my company, but it’s a rare treat to find myself truly alone in nature. Even on the most extreme hikes, backcountry ski runs, or out on the open sea, people are always present, visible or just around the corner. This was different. So much so that I had no qualms forgoing my usual towel routine and stripped naked on the open beach to wiggle in and out of my wetsuit.
I ended up surfing, kitesurfing and windsurfing at my secret spot. Alone except for the passing pelican squadrons using the waves for wind cover, the occasional sea otter playing in the whitewater and the porpoising seals running the coastline (or possibly outrunning the sharks). Quite magical and well worth the extra care I took to avoid any risky moves. Serenely riding the ocean swell against such a beautifully barren backdrop is all the excitement I need.
F4 Plus 